Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids: How Black-Owned Media Has Helped Raise More Than $24 Million Since 2008

For nearly two decades, a partnership between Radio One/REACH Media and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has demonstrated the power of Black-owned media to bring communities together around a shared mission.

Since 2008, the partnership has helped raise more than $24 million for St. Jude children and families, growing from a fundraising radiothon across eight Radio One markets into a nationwide initiative known today as Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids.

The partnership began at a time when Radio One was looking for ways to use its platforms to connect its audiences with causes that could make a meaningful difference in the community.

The initial effort, launched as Radio Cares for St. Jude Kids, brought stations across eight markets together for a coordinated fundraising radiothon supporting children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

What started as a multi-market campaign eventually developed into a much broader movement.

In 2013, the initiative was rebranded as Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids, expanding its identity and reach while continuing to connect St. Jude with audiences across Black-owned media platforms.

Today, the partnership extends well beyond traditional radio.

Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids incorporates national and local radio programming, nationally syndicated shows, digital platforms, live events, and community engagement initiatives. Together, those platforms provide opportunities for listeners and supporters to learn about St. Jude’s work while contributing to the hospital’s mission.

The nearly two-decade relationship also illustrates the unique role Black-owned media can play in community engagement.

Radio has long served as more than a source of entertainment and information in Black communities. Local personalities, nationally syndicated programs, and trusted media voices can help introduce important causes to audiences in ways that feel personal and accessible.

The St. Jude partnership demonstrates what can happen when that connection is sustained over time.

Rather than relying on a single fundraising moment, the initiative has continued to evolve, creating multiple opportunities for audiences to participate through radio, digital media, events, and community programming.

And the impact is reflected in the more than $24 million raised since 2008.

The timing is especially significant during Black Philanthropy Month, an annual observance that highlights Black generosity, giving, leadership, and community impact.

Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids offers a tangible example of those principles in action, showing how media organizations can use their reach to connect audiences with charitable causes and encourage collective giving.

For St. Jude, partnerships like this help extend the hospital’s message and fundraising efforts to communities across the country.

For Radio One/REACH Media, the initiative represents nearly 20 years of using its platforms to help support children and families facing some of life’s most difficult medical challenges.

And for the communities involved, it serves as a reminder that philanthropy does not always happen through one large contribution or one major event.

Sometimes it happens through years of conversations, broadcasts, community events, digital campaigns, and people choosing to give what they can.

From eight markets in 2008 to a nationwide initiative today, Urban Cares for St. Jude Kids has grown into a lasting example of what sustained community engagement can accomplish.

Nearly two decades later, the partnership continues to show that when trusted media platforms and committed communities come together around a common purpose, the impact can reach far beyond the microphone.

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